VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: The Tottenham midfielder as you've never seen him before… Sandro sings for Sportsmail

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UPDATED:

12:57 GMT, 29 November 2012

Sandro is 23. He's played 16 times for Brazil and is quickly becoming the fulcrum around which Andre Villas-Boas is building his resurgent Tottenham side. And away from the training ground, he fancies himself as a budding guitar hero.

In an exclusive commission, to promote a big interview in Saturday's Daily Mail, Sportsmail chief photographer Andy Hooper has captured Sandro demonstrating his rockstar credentials at his Chigwell home.

His love of British pop music shines through as he belts out numbers from Coldplay and the Black Eyed Peas at the recording studio he has had built in his Essex house.

Pot luck: Higgins sees off Essex boy Carter to reach last four in Shanghai

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UPDATED:

16:29 GMT, 21 September 2012

John Higgins held off a comeback from Ali Carter to reach the semi-finals of the Bank of Communication Shanghai Masters.

The Scot, seeking a first tournament win in China since 1999 and playing his first ranking event of the season, looked poised to wrap up a convincing success when he established a 4-1 lead.

However, World Championship finalist Carter made Higgins pay for missing the final red in the sixth frame, compiling a 32 break to overturn a 19-point deficit and seal a 73-60 success which kept his hopes alive.

Pot luck: John Higgins is through to the last four at the Shanghai Masters

The 33-year-old Essex potter, who is fighting an ongoing battle with Crohn's disease, built a 47-point lead in the seventh frame and wrapped it up with a knock of 35 to move to within a frame of his opponent at 4-3.

However, Higgins kept his composure to complete a 5-3 success – having started the contest with a break of 103 in the opening frame.

Former world champion Mark Williams joined Higgins in the semis, beating Joe Perry 5-4 in a match where there was never more than a single frame between the players.

The left-hander from Cwm was taken to a decider after a 131 clearance by Perry squared the contest in the eighth frame.

However, Williams – beaten by Mark Selby in the final of this tournament last season having held a 9-7 lead – held his nerve in the ninth frame with a match-winning break of 75, after Perry had earlier sportingly called a foul on himself after feathering the white.

Alastair Cook has admitted England are a better team with the ostracised Kevin Pietersen but the door for his return remains only slightly ajar.

Speaking formally for the first time about the issue, new Test captain Cook confirmed he had talked to Pietersen and had other meetings on the impasse prior to the squad for this winter’s four-match series in India being announced.

Discussions between Pietersen and ECB chiefs Hugh Morris and David Collier are on-going.

Cook said: 'The issues have not been resolved which is why he is not available for selection at the moment. Time, hopefully, will be a healer and we will be able to move on.

'It is a given that Kevin — who has proved himself in conditions all around the world — is a world-class player.

'His record suggests that in all forms of the game. He will be missed in that way but it gives another person an opportunity.'

Watching brief: KP is watching the World T20 unfold from a TV studio

Cook has first-hand experience of filling big shoes on the subcontinent: he struck a century on debut in Nagpur six years ago after being called in for Marcus Trescothick, who had withdrawn with depression.

'When I got called up people were probably thinking: “Who is this 21-year-old from Essex He will never be as good as Tres.”

'And I wasn’t, but it gives another person an opportunity to go out and do well for England.

'We have to look forward now as a side. We have 16 players getting on the plane and we have to look forward to the two months coming up and not look back.

'The guys coming in have nothing to fear about going out there. We are going out there to win a series.'

Police make arrest following racist Twitter abuse of West Ham striker Cole

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UPDATED:

14:02 GMT, 26 August 2012

A 22-year-old man has been arrested in connection with racist twitter messages aimed at West Ham striker Carlton Cole, police said.

The man, from Southend in Essex, was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence, the county's force said.

The footballer highlighted the
messages on the social networking site, which he received following his
side's defeat at Swansea.

Target: Carlton Cole (left) received racist abuse on Twitter

The 28-year-old player was targeted by
the supposed Hammers' fan in two foul-mouthed postings after the side
lost 3-0 in south Wales.

The comments, which the player
retweeted from his @CarltonCole1 account, questioned his performance and
used a racist term to describe him.

An Essex Police spokeswoman said:
'Police have arrested a 22-year-old man from Southend on suspicion of a
racially aggravated public order offence following tweets sent to
@Carltoncole1 (West Ham player Carlton Cole) on Saturday, August 25.

'Investigations are ongoing.'

Following the postings Cole took to the social networking site himself to criticise his aggressor.

He said: 'Listen, I take racism a lot
lighter than others and I do understand the banter that comes along with
it to get under people's skin, but it can sometimes be hurtful and
insulting.

Target: Kevin Nolan was also abused

'I don't mind when people criticise me for having a bad game or they think I'm crap at football but just say that.

'Whether I am crap or had a bad game has nothing to with my race, creed or religion. lets just keep it FOOTBALL. Kapeesh'

Fellow West Ham players Matt Jarvis, Kevin Nolan, and Guy Demel were also subjected to abuse.

Daily Telegraph football correspondent Henry Winter called for police to investigate the racist rant.

He posted on his Twitter account: 'I
hope the police take action over the racist abuse aimed at @CarltonCole1
on twitter tonight.'

In 2009 Cole was also the subject of
racist abuse when Millwall fans at Upton Park aimed monkey chants at him
during a Carling Cup clash.

British shooting duo James Huckle and Jonathan Hammond bowed out of the Olympics after failing to make the final of the 50m rifle three positions.

Huckle, 21, from Essex, and 31-year-old Scot Hammond were unable to break into a strong top eight who will compete for the medals on Monday afternoon.

Huckle went into qualifying with high hopes in what is his preferred event, having missed out in both the 10m air rifle and 50m prone earlier this week. But his three-round total of 1162 left him ranked 25th.

Bowing out: James Huckle did not progress to the final

Hammond started superbly with 395 in the prone, his strongest discipline, but his standing section let him down badly, scoring just 361 before finishing with 386 in the kneeling.

His late rally was not enough to prevent him finishing last of the 41 competitors.

Niccolo Campriani of Italy topped the rankings with a score of 1180, a new Olympic record, while America's Matt Emmons, who famously missed out on gold with his final shot at the last two Olympics, qualified in second.

Shot down: Jonathan Hammond could not make it through to the top eight